Sunday, October 25, 2009

Tough Weekend in Ann Arbor for Football and Firefighters

Growing up in the era of the Fab Five, Michigan has always seemed to me as an eviable school to attend with its mix of great sports and academics. Then you see the football stadium, known as "The Big House," and the crowd of 110,000 makes you feel quite insignificant. At the same time, it is an awesome spectacle to witness. It also gave me a good excuse to visit my good college friend Lee Higgins in Ann Arbor for the weekend.

The last time I had seen Lee was at his wedding, and now he had a giant one-year-old baby, Taylor, and a two-year-old dog, Chase. Taylor is a happy-go-lucky baby that is very photogenic as you can see below.

So was The Big House. The thing that struck me about the stadium was that even from the top you still had a good view of the field; you didn't need binoculars like some large stadiums. The design was genius. The stands went right up to the sidelines and endzones. There was no wasted space between rows either.

Unfortunately, Michigan was outclassed by a solid Penn State team and lost 35-10. The second half was cold and rainy, and we were happy when it ended. Ann Arbor was a pretty college town with the leaves at their most brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange. It reminded me of New England. The nightlife was nothing special for a Saturday night, maybe that was due to the loss. On the way home I saw seven or eight firetruckers with their lights on parked near the main strip. I told Lee to pull over. An old building that once had Pinball machines was still smoking. It was likely arson, and some dorm rooms next door were ruined in the blaze.

About Me

Through my love for travel and curiosity about interesting people and places, my dream in college of being the world's best sportswriter has changed. I grew up in Danbury, Conn., playing many sports. School was always second. In college I developed the love for reading and the confidence to write well. Since graduation I have driven across the U.S. I lived in Aspen for a year, where I carved tracks in fresh powder and wrote a book about a very inspirational man, “The Monk,” and then lived for almost four years in Chicago and a year in Bogotá. During this time I became a self-taught photojournalist. I am now living in Astoria, N.Y., where I am working on several independent projects that I'll explain when the time is right. Until then, thank you for visiting my blog. I welcome any feedback or comments.